The present invention relates to activation of services from ducts or raceway cast in a concrete floor, and more particularly to a floor fitting that provides activation for different types of services, a larger number of connections to a service than provided by conventional floor fittings, and flexibility of configuration of connections to services.
Modern offices require electric power, communication, and computer data services in various combinations at a large number of locations. An individual workstation may require some or all services and may require several connections to a single service, particularly to electric power. Services are distributed in an office building through ducts in concrete floors. Concrete floors are often constructed having two or more ducts routed closely adjacent to each other to provide multiple services to locations on the floor while maintaining separation of the services. Cellular raceway having three adjacent ducts providing power, communication, and data conductors in individual ducts and individual ducts routed adjacent to each other are widely used to provide separated services. Connection to the services are conventionally provided by floor fittings, preset activations, or both.
Conventional floor fittings are relatively small and provide a limited number of connections to one or two services. Floor fittings are positioned on the surface of a floor and connected to services in ducts through inserts extending through holes in the floor to ducts. Inserts may be installed before the concrete is poured to form the floor, or, after the concrete is poured by boring a hole from the surface of the floor to a duct. Floor fittings may have connectors mounted in a housing on the floor or may provide a path through which conductors may be routed to locations above the floor. Conventional floor fittings are designed to provide activation of one or two services and are sized to occupy a small space on the floor. Two or more floor fittings installed near each other occupy an area similar to that of a preset but do not provide the activation capacity of a preset, either in terms of the number of connectors that may be mounted at the location or the number of conductors that may be routed to locations above the floor, or both.
Conventional preset activations are used with presets overlying two or more ducts. A preset is a void-forming enclosure that is positioned before concrete is poured to form the floor. Preset activations position connectors in the preset, either below the floor surface or flush with the floor surface. The size of the preset limits the number of connectors that can be mounted within the preset and the number of configurations of connectors for different services that may be provided by a preset activation. Preset activations conventionally include activation hardware such as shields and connectors, or channels for routing conductors through the preset for connection above the floor, or both. Providing services through a preset requires that the location be identified and a preset installed before the concrete floor is poured.
Presets and floor fitting inserts installed prior to pouring a concrete floor provide relatively inexpensive access to services after the concrete floor has been poured. A removable mud cap that is generally parallel to the surface of the floor is positioned slightly below the concrete floor surface providing access to the interior of the preset or insert. The concrete above the mud cap may be broken away with hand tools, the mud cap removed. A preset activation may be installed in a preset from above the floor. A floor fitting may be installed from above the floor by attaching a housing to the insert and routing conductors through the insert.
The demand for services in an office frequently exceeds the capacity of installed floor fittings and preset activations. If a preset has been installed at the location where additional service is required, a preset activation may be installed in the preset. If a floor fitting insert has been installed at the required location, a floor fitting may be connected to the insert. If no preset or insert is installed at the required location, one or more floor fittings must be installed by boring holes in the concrete floor for floor fitting inserts. Boring holes in concrete is the most expensive and time consuming of the options for providing additional service.
Aesthetics of service connections are always considered in addition to the functional requirements of providing connection to services. Preset activations and floor fittings are preferably compatible with the floor treatment of the office, whether tile or carpet, or other feature of the office interior. In offices in which both preset activations and floor fittings are installed, consistent aesthetics are desireable.
Accordingly, a need exists for activation of services from multiple conductor-carrying channels that provides greater activation capacity than conventional presets or floor fittings. In addition, a need exists for a floor fitting that provides flexibility for configuration of various types of connectors for services. Further, a need exists for a floor fitting that ca be activated from a preset or through floor fitting inserts and provide consistent appearance from either type of activation.